The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
A user may become a member of an online social network in pursuit of opportunities that are unavailable in a “real world” setting. For example, the user may wish to establish a relationship with otherwise unreachable users in the hopes of reaping a benefit, such as obtaining a job or client referral. However, relationships typically surpass the acquaintance phase before benefits may be derived. For example, an acquaintance is less likely to help the user than a close friend. Furthermore, the somewhat anonymous nature of online social networks may exacerbate difficulties in forging significant online relationships.
A recommendation system may facilitate user interactions in an online social network. For example, a set of other users called “People You May Know” may be presented to the user. However, the user may be unable to determine which of the other users is worth an investment of time and effort in developing a significant online relationship. Additionally or alternatively, a set of content called “Jobs You May Be Interested In” or referenced as “Network Update Stream”, such as content in a web feed, may be presented to the user. However, the user may be unable to determine which of the content is worth the time and effort of interaction. For example, the user may wish to know which of the content, if interacted with, is likely to result in the development of a significant online relationship. Thus, there is a need for a recommendation system that facilitates the formation and maintenance of significant online relationships.
While each of the drawing figures depicts a particular embodiment for purposes of depicting a clear example, other embodiments may omit, add to, reorder, and/or modify any of the elements shown in the drawing figures. For purposes of depicting clear examples, one or more figures may be described with reference to one or more other figures, but using the particular arrangement depicted in the one or more other figures is not required in other embodiments.